Remains of Al Taie Recovered

From Marcie Hascall Clark of The Defense Base Act Compensation Blog comes two news stories about service members missing in Iraq - Staff Sgt. Ahmed al-Taie and Major Troy Gilbert.

Army IDs remains of last missing soldier in Iraq
By Lara Jakes, Associated Press, WRAL, February 26, 2012

The U.S military announced Sunday that it has recovered the remains of the last American service member who was unaccounted for in Iraq, an Army interpreter seized by gunmen after sneaking off base to visit his Iraqi wife in Baghdad during the height of the insurgency.

The remains of Staff Sgt. Ahmed al-Taie, who was 41 when militiamen seized him on Oct. 23, 2006, were positively identified at the military's mortuary in Dover, Del., the Army said in a statement released Sunday. Army officials said they had no further details about the circumstances surrounding his death or the discovery of his remains.

More details in the article including the information that the remains were received at Dover on February 22. My sincere condolences to al-Taie's family and friends.

In a television interview, family of Major Troy Gilbert reveal the Pentagon will resume searching for his remains. Gilbert was killed when his jet crashed in 2006. His body was taken by insurgents before it could be recovered by US personnel.

Pentagon will reopen search for missing airman in Iraq
By Jim Douglas, WFAA, February 24, 2012

The family of a Texas pilot killed in Iraq says their prayers have been answered Friday.

They've received formal assurance that the Pentagon has reconsidered the case of Major Troy Gilbert and will reopen the search for his remains.

Related

Americans Missing in Iraq as of February 26, 2012

Left Behind in Iraq

Article on missing military personnel that contains a brief mention of Kirk von Ackermann.

Missing in action: Service members left behind
By Austin Wright, Politico, February 8, 2012

With U.S. combat troops out of Iraq and a time frame for a pullout set in Afghanistan, an ominous question looms: Who will we have left behind?

In Iraq, at least one U.S. service member is currently listed as missing, along with three defense contractors. [...]

More than five years later, Altaie’s case remains unsolved and has been turned over to the missing personnel office, along with those of three missing defense contractors: Kirk Von Ackermann, lost since 2003; Timothy Bell, lost since 2004; and Adnan al-Hilawi, lost since 2007.

Investigators spent the past two months reviewing files and crafting plans for how to proceed on each case. “It’s a lot of reading through records of various things that have happened in the past and putting that all together,” said the official at the missing personnel office. “It’s like detective work.”

And of course, there's still others missing. There's a link to the list just up there under the header for this blog.

The DPMO website cites 4 men as missing - see below. And yet, other contractors are known to still be missing. My only guess as to why others were omitted from the DPMO list is they weren't working under contract for the Department of Defense.

Operation Iraqi Freedom, 2003-2010

• Staff Sgt. Ahmed K. Altaie, U.S. Army, was lost on Oct. 23, 2006 while serving in Iraq as a translator for the U.S. military
• Mr. Kirk Von Ackermann, DoD contractor, was lost on Oct. 9, 2003, while working in Forward Operating Base Pacesetter, Iraq
• Mr. Timothy E. Bell, DoD contractor, was lost on April 9, 2004, while working in Baghdad, Iraq
• Mr. Adnan al-Hilawi, DoD contractor, was lost on March 3, 2007, while working in Baghdad, Iraq

Jeffrey Ake - missing since April 11, 2005

Article at CNN on two Americans missing in Iraq - Jeffrey Ake and Sgt. Ahmed Altaie (alternative spellings: Ahmed Qusai al-Taayie, Ahmed K. Altaie, Ahmed Kousay al-Taie, Ahmad Qusay al-Ta’ae). Jeffrey Ake was abducted on April 11, 2005 and has now been missing for 5 years.

Five years after Iraq abduction, family tries making own closure
By Jason Hanna, CNN, April 11, 2010

[Jeffrey] Ake is one of 11 Americans still missing in Iraq, 21 months before the United States is scheduled to withdraw all its troops from the country. The 10 civilians and one soldier disappeared after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of the country, and each has been missing for at least two years, according to the U.S. State Department. [...]

U.S. officials are working for the safe return of all 11 missing Americans and continuing to call for their immediate release and any information about them, State Department spokesman John Fleming said. The government also is trying to help with the recovery of other nations' citizens who are missing in Iraq, including four from South Africa and one each from the United Kingdom, Russia and Japan, Fleming said.

In Ake's case, the director of the Office of Hostage Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad recently conducted a review of the kidnapping "to reinvigorate source development," Fleming said.

Some conflicting information - the CNN article states there are 11 Americans missing in Iraq but a February 8 article in the News Tribune cited 18 missing including a second unknown member of the US military. It should be noted that #18 was Issa Salomi - now safely returned to his family in California - leaving 17 believed still missing.

I'm attaching an updated chart.



Additional Reading

JeffAke.com - website for donations

US Army Sergeant Ahmed Qusai al-Taayie - facebook page

18 Americans Missing in Iraq - February 2010
February 8, 2010

They search if someone’s missing in Iraq
By Scott Fontaine, The News Tribune, February 8, 2010

AFP - update on Issa Salomi

News is a bit slim but optimistic given the report of ongoing talks.

Iraq hopes kidnapped US translator to be freed 'soon'
AFP, February 28, 2010

Iraq is optimistic that a US translator kidnapped more than a month ago by a Shiite militant group will soon be freed, a national security adviser told AFP on Sunday.

Safa Hussein said a second American the militant group, the League of the Righteous, purports to be holding could also be released, but he admitted reports the hostage was dead could be true. [...]

Asked to give a time frame for Salomi's release, Hussein said he could not provide any details.

Hussein added the second American the League of the Righteous claims to hold, Sergeant Ahmed Qusai al-Taie, "will also be delivered" but again he did not say when.

Asked if Taie was dead, as has been reported in Iraqi media, Hussein replied: "We don't know for sure... There is no solid evidence. We don't have a proof of life, but we don't have anything to indicate that he is dead also."

Uncertainty surrounding al-Taayie

Lots of uncertainty surrounding the status of missing linguist Sgt. Ahmed Qusai al-Taayie (alternative spellings: Ahmed K. Altaie, Ahmed Kousay al-Taie, Ahmad Qusay al-Ta’ae). What an emotional roller coaster for his family.

Rough timeline

October 23, 2006 Spc. Ahmed Qusai al-Taayie (also Ahmed K. Altaie) of Ann-Arbor, Michigan kidnapped with his brother-in-law. He was seized when he went to visit his Iraqi wife who was at the time with family in Karrada. The brother-in-law was quickly freed.

November 2, 2006 A family member reveals a ransom demand was made for $250,000.

February 14, 2007 A proof of life video released by the captors. Altaie has not been heard from since. Local media in Iraq later report that he was killed but there was no official confirmation.

At one point, al-Taayie's mother reported as traveling to Baghdad in an attempt to locate her son.

February 6, 2010 A senior leader of Shi'ite militia Asaib al-Haq (Leagues of the Righteousness) reports their group received the body of Sgt. Ahmed Qusay al-Taie from a second group and are negotiating its release. Leagues of the Righteousness is believed to be holding hostage Issa T. Salomi.

February 13, 2010 An anonymous US official is quoted in another article that there is no proof the Leagues of the Righteous hold al-Taie's body.

February 14, 2010 Three year anniversary of the release of the proof of life video.

References

No proof Iraqi militants hold second American: US official
AFP, February 13, 2010

Iraqi Shiite group says holding two Americans
AFP, February 7, 2010

Iraq group says it has kidnapped U.S. contractor
By Suadad al-Salhy, Reuters, February 6, 2010

A Ransom Demand for the Missing U.S. Soldier
By Brian Bennett, Time, November 2, 2006

Abducted Altaie Seen in Video - with updates
AII POW-MIA, February 14, 2007

Ahmed Qusai al-Taayie
Wikipedia, includes additional sources

Salomi and al-Taayie

Update on Issa Salomi from Reuters also includes new information on an American hostage missing since 2006.

Iraq group says it has kidnapped U.S. contractor
By Suadad al-Salhy, Reuters, February 6, 2010

A senior leader of Shi'ite militia Asaib al-Haq, or Leagues of Righteousness, said the abducted contractor, whom he did not name, was seized because the government was not keeping a promise to free Asaib al-Haq supporters from prison.

Such a deal was widely believed to have been behind the release by the same group of British computer programer Peter Moore in December after 2-1/2 years in captivity, despite Iraqi and British government denials of a link.

"The government is carrying out many violations against us," the militant leader told Reuters, asking not to be identified.

The Reuters article also includes new information on US Army linguist, Ahmed Qusai al-Taayie (also Ahmed K. Altaie) of Ann-Arbor, Michigan kidnapped on October 23, 2006. Al-Taayie was last seen alive when a proof of life video was released by his captors on February 14, 2007.

The Asaib al-Haq leader said his group was also negotiating with the Iraqi government over the handover of the body of a U.S. contractor kidnapped and killed in 2006 by another group.

He said his group had received the body of the contractor, identified as Ahmed Qusay al-Taie, from the other militant organization and would release it once it received an assurance from his wife that she would not sue Asaib al-Haq.

Update - more on the status of al-Taayie from another news story

Iraqi Shiite group says holding two Americans

AFP, February 7, 2010

The second American could be US army Sergeant Ahmed Qusai al-Taie, also of Iraqi origin, who was reported missing on October 23, 2006.

An undated and soundless video of him appeared on the US television network CNN in February the following year having first been posted on the Internet by the League of the Righteous.

Taie left the heavily-guarded international "Green Zone" in Baghdad without his superiors' permission to visit close relatives at a family home in Karrada.

Local media later reported that [al-Taayie] was killed but there has been no official confirmation.

The following information is from a previous post, National POW/MIA Recognition Day, September 19, 2008

Spc. Ahmed Qusai al-Taayie (also Ahmed K. Altaie) of Ann-Arbor, Michigan was kidnapped on October 23, 2006

41-year-old Specialist in the US Army. Altaie is a linguist (translator) with the Provincial Reconstruction Team Baghdad. Married. Altaie was kidnapped with his brother-in-law when he went to visit his wife in Baghdad. His brother-in-law was quickly freed. A ransom demand was made for $250,000. Altaie has not been heard from since a proof of life video was released by his captors on February 14, 2007.

A Ransom Demand for the Missing U.S. Soldier
By Brian Bennett, Time, November 2, 2006

Abducted Altaie Seen in Video - with updates
AII POW-MIA, February 14, 2007

al-Taayie
Wikipedia, includes additional sources

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